Sundarban National Park

Location : West BengalDeclared World Heritage Site In : 1987Entrance fee : Citizens of India- Rs. 15 Others : Rs. 150 Visiting Time : 0700 hrs to 1700 hrs Best Time to Visit : September to May

Description :Sundarban National Park is situated 112 kms south of Kolkata, Sunderbans Tiger Reserve is world’s largest delta formed by Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers. The Sundarbans delta is the largest mangrove forest in the world. It lies at the mouth of the Ganges and is spread across areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, forming the seaward fringe of the delta.Spreading over an area of 10,000 sq. kms of land and water, Sunderbans is home to a huge tiger population. Interestingly, the Bangladeshi and Indian portions of the jungle are listed in the UNESCO world heritage list separately as the Sundarbans and Sundarbans National Park respectively, though they are simply parts of the same forest.

The Sundarbans is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests, and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes. The area is known for its wide range of fauna. The most famous among these are the maneating Royal Bengal Tigers, but numerous species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes also inhabit it. It is estimated that there are now 500 Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area. Apart from these, you can see several endangered species in this park including large number of aquatic mammals, birds and reptiles.